Carroll set to return kickoffs for Eagles in opener

PHILADELPHIA - With Josh Huff out with a shoulder injury, cornerback Nolan Carroll is in line to return kickoffs for the Philadelphia Eagles in their season opener Sunday against Jacksonville.

Head coach Chip Kelly said Tuesday that Carroll, who hasn't returned kickoffs since his rookie year with Miami in 2010, was the first player up if Huff isn't able to go - but he isn't the only option on a team with Darren Sproles, Brandon Boykin and Brad Smith."The way we're doing things from a return standpoint, I think the way Nolan hits things and he really fits in terms of what our blocking scheme is right now," said Kelly. "But you'll see Darren back there. You asked me who the first guy is; that doesn't mean they can't be on the second kick, the other guys. Brandon Boykin could be back there. Brad Smith could be back there. We've got a lot of guys that have returned kickoffs."Carroll didn't have any tries in preseason games, when Huff, who had a 102-yard return in the opener, and the since-waived Damaris Johnson, Kenjon Barner and Henry Josey took all the returns.But Carroll said he's had enough work in practice to handle the job if that's the situation."We've done a good job simulating it in our practice, going full speed and guys coming full speed and just backing off kind of sudden," said Carroll. "Those guys did a good simulation with that, so in the game Sunday it's just tackling. That's really it, is just more the physical part of it. But we've done the game speed so much and it's all timing with that stuff. You've just got to get a good start and hit it full speed downhill and that's it."Sproles, listed as the team's top punt returner, averaged 21.3 yards on 12 kickoff returns for New Orleans last year. He has 328 returns for a 25.3 average and two TDs in his career.Smith has a 28.2 average on 101 kickoff returns, with four scores and Boykin led the Eagles in kickoff returns as a rookie in 2012, with a 23.0 average on 45 returns. He had nine returns last year behind Johnson.Readying for Henne: Chip Kelly agreed with defensive coordinator Bill Davis' remarks last week that there isn't much difference in style between Wilson grad and Jacksonville starter Chad Henne and top draft pick Blake Bortles.Kelly said a switch to Bortles likely wouldn't affect the Eagles' defense."They haven't changed offensively scheme-wise when Blake is in there compared to Chad," said Kelly. "Not that they can't, but I think they're similar type guys. Blake's a legitimate NFL, prototypical quarterback, so I don't think their scheme would change very much."But we're not gonna go chasing ghosts and start to say, 'Hey, if this guy is in, we would imagine they would run this offense.' You've gotta go just based upon what (offensive coordinator) Jedd (Fisch) has done in his career there as the offensive coordinator in the one year he's been there and then what he's done in the past."McNabb on Foles: Former Eagles starter Donovan McNabb said in a radio interview on 97.5 The Fanatic Tuesday that he doesn't think Nick Foles is a franchise quarterback."If I had to give a take, I would say no," McNabb said. "I think what he will do, he won't do what he did last year, that just won't happen. I see him being maybe a 25-touchdown, maybe 8-, 10-interception guy."Foles said he didn't have a reaction to McNabb's remarks."Everybody's entitled to their opinion," he said. "I haven't earned anything yet. Like I said, it's a week-to-week thing, and it always will be. My job's to go out there and play to the best of my abilities. I haven't earned anything yet. Maybe when I'm done with football totally I'll go back and see something, but no, not anything."Odds and ends: The only players who didn't practice Tuesday were WR Josh Huff with a shoulder injury and backup OL Matt Tobin with a high-ankle sprain. Chip Kelly on whether kicker Cody Parkey has much leeway. "Well, I don't have another kicker, so it's not like we're gonna put the No. 2 guy in, so he's going to kick."Contact Steve Patton: 610-371-5097 or spatton@readingeagle.com